


There's a Difference between Mostly Dead and All Dead

by HelloIAmParker



Series: Kingfisher and His Little Monster [14]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Magical handwavy death stuff, Not Canon Compliant, Phil dies, Phil is kind of a spirit but can't do shit about it, Sassmaster Supreme Stephen Strange, Steve "Agressive Cuddler" Rogers, The Avengers are all family and they all love each other, Theres a difference between Mostly Dead and Totally Dead, Tony is really sad and upset, also Shuri is a Queen, but not totally, technically a kind of dead body??, theres seperate relationships but tbh everyone is half in a relationship with everyone else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 13:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21477253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloIAmParker/pseuds/HelloIAmParker
Summary: This is it then. Phil will pass on, and Tony will go quietly insane and have to live without him. Though, he supposes with a small bit of hysteria, he is living without him now, even with a body next to him, and a spirit that is stuck to him.
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Tony Stark
Series: Kingfisher and His Little Monster [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/51844
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	There's a Difference between Mostly Dead and All Dead

**Author's Note:**

> This was speed written at 4am in the morning because i got the idea when i was falling asleep and then it had to come out or i would die, which definitely isn't an exageration at all.
> 
> As always, this lovely Phil belongs to [Ringshadow](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ringshadow)
> 
> Same dealio. Avengers are family, everyone loves each other, Phil and Tony have been married sevenish years, Sidekick is a cat, Hero is a dog. Did i miss anything? Drop any questions in the comments <3

Tony knows the exact moment it happens. He's in the lab and then Phil is walking down the stairs except...he looks incredibly, impossibly sad and he sits across from Tony but makes no attempt to speak.

Tony knows then, somehow, that Phil has died. Even though he's sitting across from him. Phils head is in his hands, but somewhere, on whatever mission it was that Phil was called on, Phil has died.

A second later he's confirmed of the fact, Jarvis quietly alerting him to the fact that Calliope has stopped responding. Tony had built her to work with the vibranium of Phils arm band, to power the bracer. 

The bracer can only work on _living_ skin. It is an oversight he'll correct later.

Tony is worryingly quiet, even as Jarvis informs him that the Avengers are heading his way immediately. Tony is grateful, the Avengers are his family even they don't see each other terribly often. He is grateful, watching Phil across from him pull at his hair angrily, even though he makes no noise. 

How awful it must be, he thinks, to not be able to communicate with speech when thats what you're used to.

* * *

Tony is upstairs now, Phil pacing behind him, silently. The dogs cannot see him, Jarvis cannot see him, and Tony has to admit to the possibility that Phil is truly just a creation of his fractured mind.

For all that Tony is relatively balanced these days, he is a still an incredibly broken mental being. He is certifiably crazy, and perhaps this pacing, upset Phil is just a creation of that. He just....doesn't think so.

He looks up at Clint comes in, Natasha and Steve and Bucky right behind them, and the others after that, everyone filling the space.

_( Phil moves back, back, away from everyone, like he's terrified to see them move through him like Sidekick had done )_

"Phil is dead." He said, a minute later, and everyone starts bustling around him, except for Clint and Natasha who are watching him very closely.

"You have confirmation?" Natasha asked quietly. Tony nodded. "Calliope is offline, and Maria just sent word with Jarvis that they're bringing his body back." He said, with a little twist of a frown. His eyes flicker to Phil again.

Clint, of course, notices.

"He's here though, isn't he? For you." He said softly, but the others hear anyway, and Tony doesn't try to deny it. 

"Yes. I -" He frowned. "I saw him a moment before i found out for sure. He came down the stairs. He looks upset and frustrated. He can't speak. He's......he's in the suit with the red at the wrists." His favorite, when he gets to go on these wet works missions.

A fact Clint and Natasha well know. Clints nod and Natasha's hum confirms it. "How long has he been gone?"

"Four days. He was supposed to be gone six. I've been here with Rhodey, but he ran to get groceries and some dry cleaning." Tony doesn't do well by himself these days. He's fine with it. He has his own limitations.

"And he took the suit?" Natasha asks, and Tony....doesn't actually know. "I assume he did. It's his favorite." Tony frowned a little, and headed back into the bedroom, looking through the suits, before coming back, the others scattered into the house, some in the kitchen, some to close up the lab. He feels warm, his family here filling this space.

"The suit is gone. Jarvis doesn't monitor the bedroom so he doesn't know for positive if Phil took it, but i think he did."

Clint nodded, sitting in a chair. "Where is he now?"

Tony looks up, and sees Phil crouching by Hero, trying to get his attention, and its heartbreaking. "....He's trying to get Hero to see him." He said, voice emotional, and Steve moves to wrap himself around Tony, dwarfing him by a fair bit, and helping him over to the couch.

"....I believe you. I think he's here. But i don't think he knows you can see him. Or he'd have tried to talk to you. Mime things at you."

"In between state?" Bruce said, crouching by Clints chair as Steve does his best to swaddle Tony on the couch. Tony would complain, but its helping.

"With everything we've seen? The shit runnning through Phils veins thats kept him alive? The magic users that like him, that owe him favors? Dollars to donuts he's not fully dead. Mostly dead, and all dead, are very different things, a wise man once said."

"I'm fairly positive that Miracle Max was just a con artist." Natasha said, with an uptick to her mouth, though she's got her phone out, already texting people. "I'll get Strange and some friends to come over. I'll text Fury and tell him to have Maria bring Phil over here."

* * *

"Have you ever seen Casper?"

"I will punch you in the mouth."

"It was a serious question." Strange said, though he smirks a little. Tony huffs. "Yeah.A long time ago, it was weird, strange potions, make me a real boy please, yadda yadda."

"Same basic principles. He's got a strong enough tie here, and enough magic in his blood that his body won't _let_ him pass on. Which is good news for us. Theoretically."

"Theoretically?"

"Yes. We need to heal him before we do our best to tug his spirit back to his body. Thankfully, things like being where they're supposed to. So. We need to heal him, and you need to stay as close to him as possible."

"Me?"

"Who else would he be staying for, Tony?"

* * *

T'Challa is unsure of letting them stay, unsure of letting them come. And Tony had hoped, had put all his eggs in this basket because he doesnt know how else to heal Phil as quick as they need, before Phil will be _forced _to move on.

But T'Challa decides he cannot share his countries advancements cavalierly. T'Challas final denial of their services breaks his heart, makes him bleed internally. He is by Phils side, even now with a cool body holding his hand because thats what needs to be done, where Tony wants to be. T'Challa says no, and Tony....Tony doesnt know what his face does, but T'Challa looks momentarily panicked.

Tony finally nods, and thanks him for considering their request, and hangs up before he breaks down in front of a King. He looks at Phil. Phil, in his favorite suit, still before him, and Phil who paces around him unheard and unseen by any but him, and Tony feels his heart in his throat as he shifts, lying down next to him, silently.

This is it then. Phil will pass on, and Tony will go quietly insane and have to live without him. Though, he supposes with a small bit of hysteria, he is living without him now, even with a body next to him, and a spirit that is stuck to him.

"Sir? You have a message from Princess Shuri." Jarvis said, softly, barely above a whisper. Tony swallows, heat in his eyes, his shredded heart beating sluggishly in his chest even as he holds Phils hand against him.

Tony quite likes Shuri. They get along well and they like to snark at each other about robots, and other sciency things. She's so much more brilliant than he is and he is happy to see it - he wants other to be better than him, to help the world grow.

But he can't handle the bubbliness or whatever apology she will give him for her brother, even though he appreciates it. "Thank you, i will read it later, Jarvis. I need some time." He said softly, eyes closed.

Tony falls asleep there, crying by Phils side, because he is losing him now, for good, and he doesn't want to think of it. Doesn't want to think of it _ever_.

* * *

Tony wakes several hours later to a lot of commotion and then - Shuri is walking in, looking furious with T'Challa trailing her looking contrite. Tony sits up, a blanket someone must have covered him with falling from his shoulders, and Shuris eyes dart to where Phil is laying, Tonys hands clenched around Phils own.

Phil, who even though is supposed to be dead, is still just slightly cool, and looks mostly asleep, still and unmoving, but not the cold feeling most dead bodies get.

"My brother is an idiot." Shuri said, glaring at him, and Tony blinks, unsure about what is happening here. "I tried to tell you, but Jarvis says you slept - i brought the equipment, here, on a jet. It is upstairs. We must move, with haste."

And Tony scrambles, something in his chest knitting back to together. Please, he thinks, let this work.

* * *

"This part shouldn't be hard." Strange said, as they carefully moved Phils healed body to the kitchen table, because Strange had said 'somewhere with love in it, somewhere that you've laughed, and been happy.'

And Tony thinks of meals and friends and love and thinks the kitchen is just right.

"The body _wants_ to stay together, so this is basically just giving it permission." He promised. "Okay, Tony, i need you to hold his hand again. Everyone else, somewhere on the body."

Shuri and T'Challa are the only ones who stay back, everyone else rushes forward to lay a palm on Phil somewhere, standing around the table, while Tony sits on it properly to hold Phils hand again, and Strange starts chanting.

Something in it makes his hair stand on end, makes him feel like he's vibrating out of his bones. Like he's in the wrong place, but then it abruptly drops out, and Tony isn't the only one who screams as Phil sits up with a gasp of air. The next sound is Phil falling back against the table as Tony kisses him and everyone can't stop checking to make sure he's okay.

* * *

A clean bill of health by Shuri later - _("Honestly, you seem healthier than before you died." "SISTER." )_ \- and Phil just looks...baffled by the whole thing. "I don't remember anything. Its like i blinked and woke up on the kitchen table."

"I'm glad. You don't need to remember anything like that." Tony said softly, and stood. "I'm going to the bathroom but then i'll be right back."

Phil nods, and kisses Tony cheek, and then that leaves him with Clint, who is watching Phil too closely for his own good. "You're going to have to tell him." Clint said quietly, and Phil sighed. "Is there anything you don't see?"

"Not much." "I will. I just. Don't want to do it here, in front of everyone else. Its got to be private, between him and me." Besides Phil can't fool Tony anyway, so there's zero chance Tony doesnt know Phil is absolutely bluffing when he says he can't remember anything. Clint nods, after a second, and stands, moving to lean down and hug Phil himself, hold him close. "I'm glad you stuck around, Sir." Clint said gently, pulling back and heading to help Bucky and Bruce with food prep.

Maybe one day Phil would tell them what he'd seen, or what had happened on his end. But for now, Clint was just happy he was back.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not looking for constructive critism at this time, but i love all other comments :3
> 
> If you wanna see something in this or any other kind of verse, please drop a comment!!


End file.
